March 9, 2017
Wondai has drawn praise from an unlikely source: the Bellingen Shire Courier-Sun, one of the oldest newspapers in northern NSW.
Yesterday the Fairfax newspaper released its latest edition, which contained a letter to the editor from Bellingen resident Doug Winn that compared Wondai to his own home town.
Here is what Mr Winn wrote:
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Council Can Do Better
Recently, I visited a little town called Wondai in south-east Queensland. Wondai township has a population of about 2,100 and an original shire population of 4,375. Like Bellingen, it also has a main highway through the middle of town.
But as I drove into Wondai, I had the immediate impression that this was a town that people cared for! It formerly had a railway line running through the main street but this has gone, replaced now with a park, museum, water feature, sculptures and gardens! I marvelled at the freshly painted car parking spaces in the street, the generous, well maintained planter boxes, the tidy streets and footpaths and the absence of potholes in the roads.
I then went to the imposing, multi-story brick council chambers to ask directions but the biggest, most imposing building in the town was empty! But the doors were open so I called out and the sole occupant came to my assistance. He told me that Wondai had an original shire area of 3,800 sq. km, but had been obliged, by the State government in 2008 with several other small, adjoining councils to amalgamate with nearby Kingaroy council to form the South Burnett Regional Council. So Wondai’s administration was now 33km. away (about the same distance as Bellingen to Coffs).
I then had a stroll round town, meeting and chatting with a few local business people, the museum staff and some residents. They all told me that they had been initially upset when amalgamation had been forced on them but now realised the huge savings in duplicated admin. costs that this has achieved. They were all proud of their town now, agreeing it was better maintained and without exception, approved of the benefits of amalgamation!
My return to Bellingen shire’s 1605 sq. km. of area made me to wonder why, with a population of 13,010, we have to put up with potholes, empty planter boxes, weeds, lack of footpaths and the mess that is our town heart in Church St?
Doug Winn, Bellingen
- External link: Bellingen Shire Courier-Sun
That may be what you see now but what you did not see was what we had before amalgamation with the other councils that was forces on us without any consultation by the Beattie labor government. What we had before was what created Wondai as it is now. If we had before what we have now nothing would have improved at all. This is a great town, no thanks to the present local government setup, it is because of the previous council. it is still a fantastic & friendly town thanks to them. I am proud to live here.